Colorado Pet Food Bank Re-Distributes Pet Food Donation Worth $130,000

20 Rescue and Pet Food Bank Organizations are Receiving Pallets of Pet Food Valued at $5,280 each

Redbarn Pet Products, a manufacturer of premium food, treats and chews for dogs and cats, has arranged for a donation of 33,792 cans of dog food and 38,808 cans of cat food to be donated to nonprofit animal organizations across Colorado. Denver/Boulder pet food bank, Colorado Pet Pantry, spearheaded the logistical coordination and outreach for the rescue groups that span from Crawford, Evergreen, Monument, Alamosa, Ft. Collins, and all over Denver/Boulder. Sharing the donation among the different rescues and pet food banks was a necessity as Colorado Pet Pantry Executive Director Eileen Lambert explained, “We simply don’t have the warehouse space for 22 pallets of pet food and this food can be put to immediate use through the many wonderful animal rescues and pet food banks located throughout the state.” The cans of food, normally retailing for over $130,000, are being delivered to the mile-high city on Friday, July 10th. The food will then be allocated to the 22 partner organizations located across the state.

According to Colorado Pet Pantry’s calculations, this food could feed 563 dogs and 826 cats twice a day for a month. Redbarn co-owner Jeff Baikie remarked, “Redbarn was founded on the principle of creating better, more nutritious food for every dog. We understand when times are tough, it can be very difficult on a family with pets and for that reason we are honored to support Colorado Pet Pantry food bank, their rescue partners and their common goal of ensuring all families in a neighborhood have the resources to consistently feed their pets, keeping them out of shelters. It’s our hope that with a donation of this size, we will enable these rescues to help save more animals.” According to the ASPCA, approximately 3.9 million dogs and 3.4 million cats enter animal shelters every year.

See photos from the donation event generously donated by DelaFoto.

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About Redbarn Pet Products, LLC
In 1996, CEO’s (and lifelong friends) Jeff Baikie and Howard Bloxam recognized the need for a wholesome dog food that was developed, produced and sold with integrity, honesty and only top quality ingredients. They developed the signature Redbarn Rolled Food, an enhanced food with over 93% digestibility. Soon, they began manufacturing premium, grass-fed bully sticks and other natural chews. In 2013, responding to customer’s demands, Jeff and Howard created the grain-free Redbarn for Cats line. Redbarn strives to provide products and information to help our customers in making educated, nutritious decisions for their pets.

About Colorado Pet Pantry
The Colorado Pet Pantry pet food bank operates as a mobile pet food bank at “human” food bank partners. During 2015, the pet food bank plans to grow to six monthly pet food banks in the Denver/Boulder-metro areas. In 2014, their volunteers gave 1,100+ hours to distribute 30,553 pounds of pet food, helping 1,500 families in the Denver/Boulder-metro area to feed 3,296 pets.


Applewood Awards Giveaway to Colorado Pet Pantry

Colorado Pet Pantry_webThe Colorado Pet Pantry is a food bank for family pets. They temporarily feed Colorado pets, allowing families to increase their ability to care for pets with the goal of keeping them out of shelters and with their families. The organization began in 2013 with a pet food bank at one “human” food bank partner. In 2015, they have already grown to five monthly food bank partners.

“Applewood is proud to partner with this organization,” said John Ward, Applewood Plumbing Heating & Electric president. “Their work is admirable and we are excited to be able to help them expand their efforts to help more pets and families in need.”

The Colorado Pet Pantry partners with and distributes directly out of “human” food banks because they have an established relationship with the neighborhoods, and they can leverage their administrative processes and their buildings. Additionally, the availability of pet food helps to ensure that the already limited “human” food is reserved for the humans and pets receive balanced meals.

“In 2014, our volunteers gave 1,100+ hours to distribute 30,553 pounds of pet food, helping 1,500 families in the Denver/Boulder-metro area to feed 3,296 pets,” said Eileen Lambert, founder of Colorado Pet Pantry.

The $1,000 will allow the organization to expand its services and will help feed 250 additional pets. “Every dollar donated to the Colorado Pet Pantry is worth $5 in pet food. Combine that with the fact that your donation helps a pet stay with its family – keeping the dog or cat out of the shelter where it would need to be housed, fed, walked, cared for, and rehomed,” said Eileen.  

Over the past nine years, Applewood has given more than $95,000 in giveaways to charities and nonprofits in the Denver area.

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Perfectly Good Pet Food is Better in Bellies than in Landfills

duct-tapeIn honor of Earth Day 2015… Here’s one of the beautiful side effects of the pet food bank, and this is why we spend so much time at the warehouse after every large donation.

We use a lot of duct tape at the Colorado Pet Pantry. It’s a small price to pay for the tens of thousands of pounds of pet food we’re able to salvage.

Almost all of the pet food bags that are donated from pet food suppliers or stores are damaged in some way. Accidents happen. Bags fall off store shelves and split open. Forklifts miss their mark. Glues don’t always hold. Zippers get caught.

We duct tape the heck out of things. Sometimes it’s not pretty. But it’s secure.

Then, separate from physical damage, there are pet food bags that are instantly ruined by an expiration date… When’s the last time you went through your pantry and chucked everything that was a few months past its “Best By” date?

In all of these cases, pet food companies and stores can’t sell it.

But nonprofits like us can absolutely use it.

And the landfills are grateful for the reprieve.

Happy Earth Day, and thanks for helping us to recycle!


Database Vs. Endless Paperwork | Wish List

The work behind the scenes of a pet food bank is immense. I was describing the work that we do to a volunteer today and my words were, “It’s pretty simple. The client needs pet food. We have pet food.” But it’s so much more than that. We need to find the pet food, store it, keep a decent inventory, transport it to pet food bank locations, find volunteers to distribute, keep track of how much food we give out, take the remaining food back to the warehouse and fundraise for all the above.

I always wish there was more time in the day. One thing we really need, and it would save hours upon hours every week, would be a database. Three to four more hours a week for myself and volunteers would mean more time for all of the other things on the list that need to be tackled.

Because in the end, if it was as easy as “they need pet food, we have pet food” we could help so many more pets and families. And that’s good for everyone.

I would be very happy to explain in-depth what we need in a database to any developer who would be willing to listen and potentially work on this project with us. The gist is we track and report on how much pet food we distribute at each pet food bank and how much each client receives (for as long as they come to the pet food bank).

It started out as a nice little Excel spreadsheet.

Now, for our largest pet food bank (which is just one out of five locations) we have 481 clients, which when printed so that we can check people into the pet food bank, is 24 pages.

Our ideal scenario (at least the way I am imagining this) would be to scrap the paper and use electronic tablets to record this information and input it directly into a database. We would need to be able to enter new clients, and then to be able to search and add to current clients each time they visit the pet food bank. And we’d need to be able to report totals on the various fields.

If you have ideas, please contact us. We would be grateful for any help or advice.

Thanks!

Eileen, Colorado Pet Pantry Executive Director


Happy National Volunteer Week!

Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.”  ~Elizabeth Andrew

Every month, volunteers run the Colorado Pet Pantry pet food banks, pick up pet food at our collection partners, staff tables at events, and type up endless paperwork. We love doing it because we know our clients and their pets are so relieved to have access to food.

It’s truly amazing. In 2014, our volunteers gave 1,100+ hours to distribute 30,553 pounds of pet food, helping 1,500 families in the Denver/Boulder-metro area to feed 3,296 pets.

Here are snaps of just a few volunteers. There are so many more who have dedicated so much time to making sure the dogs and cats on the front range are well fed, healthy, happy, and able to stay with the families that love them.

Thank you to all of our volunteers and happy National Volunteer Week! You’re truly the best.

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Volunteer for an upcoming food bank!


Partnership to Reduce Shelter Overpopulation

Our mission is to help families feed their pets, keeping dogs and cats out of shelters and with the people who love them. Our focus is primarily the multi-species family. But helping to reduce over-population within animal shelters is a bonus of the work that we do.

Now, there’s an enormous cherry on top. Starting a few months ago, Dumb Friends League (DFL) staff from the mobile spay and neuter clinics began attending many of our pet food banks to share information about donor-subsidized services and vaccinations with our clients.

What a hit! The DFL team is compassionately speaking to our clients about their needs, and after each pet food bank, they have scheduled several clients to spay and neuter their pets. (Plus they always bring an armful of toys and treats for our clients’ pets!) This partnership has led the Colorado Pet Pantry to begin inquiring with each pet owner about their spay and neuter history, and start a discussion that can exponentially affect pet over-population in the Denver-metro area.

Thank you Dumb Friends League for your amazing work and for helping Colorado Pet Pantry clients take an important step in responsible pet ownership.

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The Dumb Friends League donated some new toys to our clients. Happy dogs!

 


Saving Food for the Humans

Here’s a note straight from one of our wonderful clients. She ran out of pet food yesterday and has been using her family’s small supply of ground beef to feed her dogs. We told her about our new pet food bank near downtown Denver at DICP that begins tomorrow, so she’ll be able to get what she needs sooner than later. “I love my dogs with my life. I want them to be healthy. Thank you for being so concerned with the health of my pets.”


We’re Adding a Fifth Monthly Pet Food Bank!

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PET-pupStarting next week, the Colorado Pet Pantry will begin holding its fifth monthly pet food bank at Denver Inner City Parish (DICP). The human food bank partner opened its food bank at this location in late 2014. The pet food bank will be held at DICP on the second Wednesday of the month. Clients of DICP are invited to visit the pet food bank on April 8 to get supplemental pet food for their dogs or cats. Pet owners who need assistance but are not a member of the partner human food bank are asked to call 720.441.3111 or contact us to make prior arrangements.

Check out our calendar of upcoming pet food banks.


Mocha is Part of the Family

A woman and her two kids, six and two years old, came to one of our partner food banks, Denver Inner City Parish, in 2014. While she was getting food for her family, she was relieved to learn that the Colorado Pet Pantry pet food bank was also there that day to help with pet food. She’s had her 10-year old female Shar Pei, Mocha, since she was a puppy. But when they moved from Florida to Colorado in hopes of finding a better job, the family was left with even less support and now teeters on the edge of not being able to feed the furry family member. It had been three days since Mocha had a solid meal. But mom couldn’t imagine giving her up and didn’t want to contemplate what that loss would do to her children.

“I’m barely feeding my children, it’s nearly impossible to feed the dog,” she said.

That day, she left the food bank with food for her family and Mocha, and she knows that we’ll be there, in the same spot once a month so she and her family will be able to stay together even when times are tight.


2014 Final Stats

In 2014, our volunteers gave 1,100+ hours to distribute 30,553 pounds of pet food, helping 1,500 families in the Denver/Boulder-metro area to feed 3,296 pets.



Denver Dog Magazine Coverage

DenverDog-Cover-DD2014-05-115x150A woman and her two kids, six and two years old, came to the Colorado Pet Pantry pet food bank recently to get food for their 10-year old shar pei. It had been three days since their beloved family member had a solid meal and the mother’s eyes glistened as she said how she never expected the “human” food bank that she was visiting that day to have pet food. She’s had the shar pei since it was a puppy, can’t imagine giving her up, and doesn’t want to contemplate what that loss would do to the children.

Read how the Colorado Pet Pantry helped this family to keep their beloved dog.


2013 Final Stats

IMG_1900In 2013, we distributed 10,499 lbs. of pet food, helping 426 families in the Denver-metro area to feed 858 pets.